Lid lifting tool



Feb. 16, 1954 a BRADBURY 2,669,143

LID LIFTING TOOL Filed June 6, 1952 Ray 6. Bradbury INVEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 16, 1954 stares PATENT OFFICE LID LIFTING- 'TUOIQ RayQBradbury; Alcomdale, Alberta, Canada Appli bflfloniilnefi; 1952, Serial N0. 292,045

The; present invention relates to bottle and' jar: openers, generally speaking; and has more particular reference toanimproved hand tool' or. implement which is expressly adapted to openedges to gash or cut the hands and fingers of users.

Also, the tool is such that the user will rarely encounter breaking or chipping of glass, will find the tool always ready for use with no movable parts to adjust or wear out, will find the tool easy to apply, remove and otherwise such in construction that it will remove various types and sizes of lids from glass containers and will, in addition, perform satisfactorily in removing crown caps from beverage bottles.

In carrying out the invention, a tool is provided which is characterized by a substantially flat rigid bar member, the same being provided at one end with a prying and lifting hook, being provided intermediate its ends with a complemental shoulder or abutment for said hook, being also provided intermediate its ends with an oppositely extending abutment which coacts with a second prying and lifting hook at the opposite end of the bar member.

Then, too, novelty is predicated upon the stated construction wherein the bar member is provided at the last-named end not only with a selectively usable hook but is provided, in addition, with a pair of converging fingers which themselves terminate in additional hooks which coact with the adjacent hook and provide means for effectively and easily removing a crown cap.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa fragmentary sectional view of a jar with a gasket-equipped lid showing the improved tool and thecustomary manner in which it is used in pryingthe'lid loose and removing it;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structural arrangement seen in Figure 2 with the tool appearing in full and dotted lines respectively to show" the manner inwh'icli it' may be satisfac torily: used; 1

Figure 3 is a viewshowing the fragmentary portion of one end; the right hand end, ofthe tooLand the mannerinwhich the same'is" usedassaxlifterand remover for'crown caps;

Figure? 411s an: end elevation of the tool per se: showing thessame in a direction-fromright't'o' left iniFi'gures 1 to" 3 inclusive.

Referring: now to the drawings, attention is dir'ected to Figure 1: wherein" the numeral G denotes a food containing jar having a reduced neck-with atlip portion 8,-thelid being denoted at! and having achannel'rim portion l2-with a packing 7' ring: or gaskets I4 sealedand se'ated' on said lip or mouth 8. The tool comprises a rigid fiat elongated bar which may be described as a lever IS. The narrower left hand portion [8 is bent upon itself as at 20 and then is return bent to define what may be called the first lid prying and lifting hook 22. The free or terminal of this,'which may be called either the bill or beak, is beveled and slightly rounded in plan as denoted at 24. As a matter of fact, it will be observed that the bend 20 is slightly oblique to the longitudinal axis of the bar and hence said hook 22 may be said to be ofiset. Struck out from the opening 26, and bent laterally and preferably slightly fluted, is an abutment or shoulder forming prong 28. This combines with the hook means 22. By placing the bill portion of the hook means 22 in a position for prying the gasket up and off of the jar neck and then swinging the tool in a direction from the dotted line position to the full line position the prong or stop comes against the marginal edge of the lid and the rotary or swinging action thus produced "drives the beak of the hook in between the gasket and lip 8 whereupon the lid is dislodged and lifted for easy removal, as is obvious.

In case one is called upon to remove a lid of a larger diameter than is accommodated by the hook 22 and prong 28 it is possible to selectively use the second hook which embodies a shank 30, a return bend 32 and a wedge shaped and suitably sharpened bill or beak 34. It will be noticed that this hook 32 is bent in a direction op posite to the hook 22. In other words, one hook may be said to be bent down and under the lever and the other bent up and over the lever. The latter hook 32 therefore combines or functions in conjunction with the upwardly bent prong 36. The latter is likewise struck out from the opening means 38 and is the same in shape and form as the prong 28. It follows that selectively usable hooks 22 and 32 are provided at opposite ends of the rigid lever and prongs 28 and 3B are provided intermediate the ends the prong 28 combining with the hook 22 and the prong 36 combining with the hook 32. Then to, additional lifting elements are provided. These take the form of spaced depending fingers 40 at the hook end 32 and said fingers terminate in lifting hooks 42 which conveniently engage the flange 44 of a crown cap 46 on the neck 48 of a beverage bottle or the like 50. This is shown in Figure 3 wherein it will be observed that the bend of the hook 332 at this time constitutes a fulcrum for the hooked fingers 40. It will be also noticed in Figure 2 that the fingers 40 converge toward each other so that the hooks 42 toe in properly to accommodate the are or curvature of the skirt of the crown cap 46.

It is further to be noted that the hooked fingers 40 depend in one lateral direction below what may be conveniently called the lower side of the lever in the drawings while the complemental fulcrum forming hook means 40 is directed in an upward direction.

The manner in which the hook means 22 and complemental stop 28 function is brought out in Figures 1 and 2. Where the hook 32 and complemental prong 36 are used the picturization would be the same except that the latter features 32 and 36 are for a lid of a greater diameter, as is evident. As far as the crown cap lifter is concerned this is clearly shown in the illustration in Figure 3.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A lid lifting tool comprising an elongated rigid bar member adapted to be used as a pry lever and adapted to span a container closing lid, said bar member being provided at one end with a laterally extending hook and being further provided intermediate its ends with a laterally extending abutment cooperating with said hook, said hook and abutment depending from the same side of the bar member and being spaced apart a predetermined distance slightly less than the diameter of the lid which is to be placed between the hook and abutment to be lifted, said book being laterally ofiset in respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar member and provided with a feather-edged bill portion.

invention, what is RAY C. BRADBURY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,110,908 Dickerman Sept. 15, 1914. 1,411,835 Blood Apr. 4, 1922 1,624,833 Grant Apr. 12, 1927 2,151,299 Hohmann Mar. 21, 1939 

